11.27.2014

Thankful

As I lay in my hospital bed this Thanksgiving morning, my perspective is a bit different compared to previous years. I'm not distracted by the hustle and bustle of traveling, cooking, setting tables, entertaining, shopping, or visiting. Being confined to a bed with lots of times to just think has made this a different holiday. I always take time to be thankful for the family I've been blessed with as well as sweet friends, good food, and many other trivial things; however, this year is much different in a great way.

I could never count the blessings and miracles we've been given in the past month alone. My eyes have really been open to the day to day blessing received that I typically take for granted. I'm also extremely aware of the larger blessing given to us in recent weeks. Blessing through the Lord's hands, blessings of compassion and love from family and friends, and blessings of prayer from people we may never meet.

For all of that, I am overwhelmingly thankful.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:18

1 comment:

Hi Linley! I've read your blog for a couple years now, but hadn't seen your latest posts. Congrats on twins!!!

I had quadruplets 2.5 years ago and went through a difficult and challenging fertility process, two miscarriages and a very difficult and scary pregnancy. We were never guaranteed to make it out of the first trimester with all four babies, much less to viability, and once born, we had no idea what sort of set backs the babies might face.

I was on home bedrest beginning at 17 weeks and went on hospital bedrest at 22 weeks, where I stayed until delivery at 29w5d. I know that feeling of the day-by-day process, watching the world pass you by outside as you strive to maintain your sanity and calm the fear welling up inside you and just hope for one more day. And then another, and then another...

The entire time I was in hospital I was on magnesium sulfate, which made me feel like death. Pretty quickly I got double vision and wasn't able to watch movies or TV very easily and struggled with reading anything. It made me feel like I had the flu and I had severe muscle atrophy when I came off bed rest after the babies were born. (They spent two months in the NICU.)

I can only imagine you've got some reading time on your hands, so I wanted to share my blog as a source of encouragement so that you know you are NOT alone in this! It will be the biggest challenge you've ever faced in life and you will survive it. Keep taking it 24 hours at a time, that's the best way to go!!

And here's my blog post on the week I was admitted to the hospital: http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2012/04/quad-squad-22-weeks-admitted.html

There's additional links to the delivery story, our current daily life with quads, etc. Hang in there, I'm praying for you and those sweet babies!!